Mobile communication devices such as smartphones and personal digital assistants have become commonplace in the twenty-first century. People rely on these devices to communicate with business associates, friends and family, and society has recognized that they are an integral part of the ways in which people do and will continue to connect with each other.
At the same time, there is recognition that in certain situations overt displays of these types of devices can be distracting, disrespectful to others or otherwise undesirable. For example, the vibration of a smartphone on a conference table during a meeting and the ringing of a device during a movie are occurrences upon which society frowns, despite the recognition that most people at meetings and leisure activities carry with them at least one mobile device that is capable of communicating with remote parties.
Moreover, in certain situations, even when no communications are being received, a person may feel compelled to check his or her device for messages, which can be considered disrespectful to other people who are in the presence of that person. Furthermore, the mere clutching of a mobile device while in the physical presence of other persons can be distracting to others or cumbersome to the owner. Still further, many owners elect to keep their mobile devices in a bag such as a purse or a briefcase, or in a holster or a pocket, but when doing so, they run risk of missing one or more communications because they do not hear the ring or feel the vibration. Thus, there is a need for new ways and new technologies for persons to be notified of communications on their wireless devices while minimizing the need to hold or to be immediately proximate to them.